The Mavericks shouldn't shy away from long shots. Can they take one final swing at an NBA lottery home run?

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Mavericks forward Luka Doncic reacts after being fouled during the first half of a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at American Airlines Center on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019, in Dallas. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News)

On Sunday, down 15 points to Portland, the Mavericks caught fire in the fourth quarter. They were a team running on post-Porzingis trade adrenaline.

On Monday night, down 15 in Houston, the Mavericks stayed there and lost by 16. Blame it on the hideous nature of a back-to-back schedule, but Dallas looked more like a team running on empty.

There's nothing surprising about that, nor is there anything bad about it. In its own way, losing to the Rockets was as encouraging as the thrill ride rookie Luka Doncic provided Sunday afternoon against the Blazers.

A team led by the shoo-in Rookie of the Year should not shy away from long shots. Because of what Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis represent, this team in all likelihood will improve quickly in 2019-20. Also because of Dallas' newest dynamic duo, the Mavs stand a real chance of actually being hailed as free-agency winners.

The Mavericks reportedly will have upward of $30 million in money to spend this summer, but New York and both Los Angeles teams have the dollars, too. You don't win free agents with money anymore. Everyone -- or at least enough teams to provide ample competition -- has money. It's all about the teammates in this era of NBA free agency, and Doncic turning 20 and the 23-year-old Porzingis provide opportunity Dallas hasn't had a chance to offer in years.

Mavs fans have mostly soured on the free agency process with the team failing so many times to land the big fish. Finally, the club has a bigger boat and more hooks.

But before getting to the free agency portion of the summer, Dallas gets one last look at the draft lottery. Moving forward, the club's few picks and the anticipated improvement in the team's record will have it drafting in the second half of the first round if at all.

This summer if the Mavericks' pick stays in the top five, the club gets to keep it and send next year's to Atlanta. If it falls out of the five, the pick goes to the Hawks.

As I said, this is a long shot, especially if the Mavs still inhabit the 11th spot, where they are currently tied with Minnesota. But if they can drop a few rungs in the standings before wrapping up the season, those long odds get a little better.

In a new lottery system, the team with the 10th-worst record has a 3 percent chance of getting the first pick and a 13.9 percent chance of landing in the top four. The team with the ninth-worst record has chances of 4.5 and 20.2 percent. It continues in that direction with the sixth-worst record having 9 and 37.2 percent chances of grabbing those picks.

If those sound like improbable odds, well, crazier things have been known to happen. Cleveland got Kyrie Irving with the top pick in 2011 with a 2.8 percent chance. Chicago landed Derrick Rose in 2008 with a 1.7 percent chance.

With Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Doncic, Mavs have chance to form duo that could top Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash

Before Tuesday's games, 31/2 games separated Dallas from the sixth pick. What kind of tumble in the standings is possible following this weekend's All-Star break?

The Mavs have said they aren't in the tanking business this spring, that their determination is to win games. A performance like the one home fans were treated to Sunday afternoon proves as much. The thinking is that the club wants to go ahead and move this first-round pick along (or at least is willing to let that happen) since it has already lost future first picks (2021 and 2023) to New York in the Porzingis deal.

But that brings us back to the fatigue we saw Monday night. This is a club with high hopes, without a doubt. But in trading Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews and Harrison Barnes in a span of five days, Doncic lost all of his supporting cast in terms of starters. It's one thing to elevate Maxi Kleber and Dorian Finney-Smith and rookie Jalen Brunson to the starting lineup and to be excited about their future with the club.

It's another to actually consider what were bench players two weeks ago as true NBA starters.

From the players acquired in the two trades, only Tim Hardaway Jr. has moved into the starting lineup. That assures Doncic of keeping his assist totals high because Hardaway will fling it, but it's entirely possible that this team just lacks depth and chemistry, not to mention rebounding, for the next two months.

Maybe those club officials who say they're happy to see the pick move on to Atlanta are being sincere. I think one final swing at a lottery home run is worth keeping an eye on. After this, Luka's not letting this team anywhere near the lottery for the foreseeable future.